FOGhorn 9.4

We are excited to be only about 8 weeks out from the convention so we bring you some updates as well as a couple of requests from members of our team. The count down is on and we're sure to have a great convention. Especially if you help us out and...

Sign Up For Programming!

As we announced on our FOGhorn News Flash last week, programming sign-ups are now open! We have over 70 items for you to look at and sign up for. You have until early Februrary to do so. Please go and let us know what you want to be on, and what you want to see, so we can continue to make FOGcon programming the best we can!

In order to get there you’ll need to log into db.fogcon.org (or create an account if you've never done this before) and go to the "Program" tab on the left -- you'll see there a "Sign Up For Programming" item in the menu that pops up.

As a reminder:

"Please!", "Interested", "Yes", and "Not interested" tell us whether you want to be *on* a given panel -- and if so, how much. ("Not interested" means "Please don't put me on it, even if you think I'd be a good fit".)

"I would like to moderate" is just what it says -- and finding good moderators is always a challenge, so let us know!

"I would like to attend" lets us know that you want to see it -- but not to be on it, particularly. Every so often, we get panels where lots of people want to talk about the subject, but no one who doesn't want to be *on* it wants to attend it -- and we're less likely to schedule those (or we'll turn them into discussion groups :))

Hotel Updates

If you have not yet made your room reservation for FOGcon 9, be sure to do so soon! Reservations at our group rate close at 5pm California time on February 14, 2019. We cannot guarantee that the discounted rate will still be available after that deadline. You can read more about the hotel and find the reservation link on our website: https://fogcon.org/about-fogcon/location/

Also, we know some of you may be concerned about how, if at all, FOGcon members have been affected by the Marriott International data breach that was in the news last fall. We have been in contact with the hotel about this and can now say that while some of you may be affected, it would not be related to your stay at the Walnut Creek Marriott for FOGcon. The breached database affected another brand of hotels with the same parent corporation. If you have been a guest at one of those hotels you may have been affected and will have been contacted by Marriott. If you would like more information, you can review a comprehensive statement and report here: https://answers.kroll.com/us-california/index.html

Child Care

Hello! This is Steven Schwartz, responsible for Childcare and Children's Programming at FOGcon this year, with a serious request for those who will, or who are considering bringing kids under 12 to the con. Please fill out the questionnaire at https://goo.gl/forms/EumUbVm1ryrY8SPG2 to help us plan most effectively. Abundant Beginnings, who've been doing childcare for us for years, have agreed to do it again, and we're delighted to have them back.

I've been bringing my kids to FOGcon for years, and this year they'll be 10. Childcare and children's programming are very important to me personally, and I also think they're an important part of building a FOGcon community. I want to make sure that parents can come, and I also want to keep introducing kids to our wonderful SF/Fnal world.

So, we need your help planning because pricing for childcare goes up in 4-child increments, and because the childcare provider can plan better when they know how many kids to expect. We also want a sense of how many kids will want Children's Programming so we know how many rooms to set aside for that.

Looking forward to seeing you and your children at FOGcon!

Volunteers

Here's a message from Debbie Notkin, member of our board:

If you like FOGcon, you can help keep it going by dropping us an email at volunteers@fogcon.org . I've been going to science fiction conventions for *ahem* closer to 50 years than 40. The first piece of advice I got in 1973 was "volunteer." That advice changed my life--very much for the better. Volunteering doesn't only help the convention, it also helps you find a place where you can connect, meet people, and stave off any "other folks are having fun" feelings that can come up at conventions.

Our biggest need this year, by far, is someone to organize and run the hospitality suite ("con suite") on site, working with our good lists of what we need, what works and what doesn't. That's a big job, so we'd love to have more than one person step up to it and share the effort and the rewards.

Beyond that, we need what we always need:

people to help in the con suite

people to help at registration

people to staff the game room

people to help the paid childcare staff

people to help us load in on Thursday and load out on Sunday

and, of course, more things may turn up.

To let us know what you would like to do, send us an email (volunteers@fogcon.org). Most shifts are 2-3 hours, and you can work as many or as few as you like. Of course, we want you to volunteer because it will help us and help the convention run smoothly. And take it from me, volunteering at FOGcon has something in it for you--not to mention a cool thank-you that only volunteers get (what will that be? it will be a surprise!).